20 Best Book Trailers (2023 Update)

The nomad offers an abundance of space for the biker looking to do some back country camping. Its size easily accommodates a five gallon bucket to keep belongings and/or food dry while acting as a sealed container to hang food at night. The accessory rack is great for tying down objects or drying wet clothing while riding. I took this on a week long trip from Washington D.C. to Pittsburg. Cons: The rear corners of the frame aren't smooth and wear holes in the floor. There needs some extra padding on the inside. (I'm going to try bicycle inner tubes). The front of the the floor gets a bit pinched by the mounts that hold the tow bar. This has caused the stitching to stretch from riding around with a full cart. Currently, I have mounted an old seat post rack on the inside to alleviate some of the pressure on the floor of the forward compartment. Water has a tendency to collect in the front compartment also (Only what was in my 5-gallon bucket stayed dry). I was thinking of sewing in some type of drain plug. Pros: The sides are lined with mesh compartments, great for quick access items and the little things. The width and length of the cart is perfect to fit a crazy creek style camp chair (never leave home without it). Once you figure out the best weight balance the cart glides along behind the bike though hills will remind you that it is there. Having the weight off your bike adds to stability while riding and mounting/dismounting, in my opinion. The stock tires are nice also. I have rode the cart over 600 miles and have not had a flat (knock on wood). You can fit everything you need for a week long camping trip in the cart (If you pack as though you are going on a backpacking trip). As stated before, the five gallon bucket is great for storing food and any electronics. Conclusion: I really like the Nomad cart. It is a great alternative to panniers and bags. It cruised behind me on the C&O Towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage with little extra effort. It allows you to carry larger items than could fit into bags (camp chair). Next I'm thinking of using it to ride around Ohio, following the Buckeye trail when possible.Qynius

I bought my first Burley Nomad in 2001 and used it hard. I took it on a 3-month journey along the TransAm Trail; on a ton of shorter self-supported trips; on airplanes, trains, and busses; to the grocery store countless times; to the dump; etc. I (sadly!) gave it away when I had kids and switched to a child trailer, but now that the kids are older, I've just switched back. And the Nomad is better than ever! The new steel hitch system is so much simpler and more secure than the old system of hitching directly onto the frame. The cover now easily closes with D-rings (the old cover had to be snapped in place, which was sometimes a struggle). And I like that the partition inside the trailer can easily be folded down so that you have one giant interior space. I've always been a trailer person–I love panniers for quick trips around town, but I'll always prefer the ease of loading and unloading the trailer, as well as the superior balance–and the Nomad is the best. It's incredibly stable, sturdy, and durable. I still see my old 2001 trailer around the neighborhood, by the way–still going strong!Lucy M.

I bought this trailer about a month ago for my dogs, Rosie ( shorkie) and Captain (mini Pomeranian). This trailer is light weight, the hitch is excellent and was easy to assemble. It’s the perfect size for two or three small dogs or a medium size dog ( like a healer). The different access zippers are in perfect spots for easy access to the dogs, and the zipper screen covers are great. I ride with my dogs to work about 8km. (One way) I’ve clocked my speed at 30km with little wiggle. We have ridden is rain/ hail/ and sunshine. The trailer handle beautifully and kept my dogs dry. I did purchase a dog crate bed for extra cushion and grip. This was a pricey trailer but worth it. Trailer is approved by Rosie and CaptainLaurie

Many great pictures, facts and figures on a truly nostalgic trailer style. I bought it because I am researching the design and build of my own creation and was pleasantly surprised by its wealth of content.medicweb

This trailer could not have been more perfect for our needs. We tow it with a Huaqvarna zero turn mower. The tires are the same size so everything is level while using it. The bed is large enough 5 feet long to hold shovels weed eaters, gas containers and more. The dump feature lets us remove the cuttings and dump them were wanted. It is sturdy and rolls like a dream. The only thing I could find fault with was the assemble. It took a bit of time to figure out the assembly instruction. In the end all parts were there and it assembled correctly. The one thing I should bring to every ones attention is that the wheels need greasing before use and I did have to purchase a metal bracket tow hitch for my mower to tow it. We all love it and I smile every time I see it in use. It was a good buy. I would buy a second one if I had use for it.Donald

Trailer appears to be good but haven't used it yet and have a few major issues: came with only a low resolution exploded view photo that's next to impossible to use. Hardware was just in one mixed bag. Wheels are totally pink compared to the orange rails. Also, the rails don't attach, just slide in. Thin finish scratches easily also. Not impressed with this so far.GrizzlyBear

Fast shipping. Easy assembly. First trip done. It held up well. Mostly. One of the rims bent bouncing on the rocks. That's fine, but the mesh bottom gave out. The only thing that was on that part was a gas can. Maybe my fault, but I am dissatisfied with that. I did have a thick matt on it. But that was not enough. The tongue is less than satisfying as well. It has more slop than I would ever approve of. I will have to weld it. Last is I need a walking beam axle. The single axle will just not do. Way to bouncy on a trail. Last is the trailer comes in two halves, bolted together. I can almost guarantee they will slop out, and come apart. I will weld an L channel across the bottom to help the lifespan. Well, after all of that complaining, it is still a trailer, shipped to my house for under $500. That is hard to do!!! Wish me luck with the axle build. Can not find one anywhere!! With all said, I am overall happy with my purchase.Mike oxbig

The Travoy trailer is a joy to use, both on and off the bike. When empty you'd hardly realise you're towing anything. Load it up and you begin to feel it, but the bike still rides normally – you're just aware of a bigger drag. The wheel-guards are a great improvement over the older model, and the platform is a few inches deeper which is also nice. I haven't had to use the extension on the towing arm, but it should help the trailer to stay clear of pannier racks etc. The removeable towing bracket for the seat-post is also a great idea – it still feels very solid on the bike. Just planning a camping trip now with my daughter, which highlights the only problem with this trailer – the lack of a large utility bag designed for it. Nevertheless a really well designed bicycle trailer – expensive, but you'll be delighted with it.Michael S.

The Burley Travoy is a great handcart or bike trailer but needs a few mods to bring it up to snuff. 1) The supplied Tote Bag tends to shift sideways loaded or unloaded and rubs on the wheels. Given a few trips, that rubbing will wear a hole right through the bag. Solution? Build a couple of sideboards/wheelguards out of lightweight coroplast sign boards (think election signs or roadside ad signs) and wrap them with duct tape. I double the coroplast signs in thickness, add a bit of tape to hold them together and then do the full wrap. Place the 7"X11" boards next to the lower frame for positioning, then poke three holes in each for cable ties that will hold them firm. Done! The coroplast is flexible yet strong. With a heavy load, you might need to add another hole in the top corner of each sideboard so you can string a rope across for further containment. If you travel by air, either substitute 3 or 4mm rope for the cable ties or simply carry a half dozen ties along and reinstall them on arrival at your destination. 2) Forget about wasting more hard-earned dollars on any other Burley bags. Go down to a thrift store and pick up a lightly used, high quality daypack and use that up top. Mine was all of $3.99 — and it's a 30L pack. You might find something even larger for that price. I buckle the waist strap around the Travoy and also tie the shoulder straps together so the pack can't shift. If it's raining, use a trash bag liner or equivalent. For total waterproofness, stay away from the expensive Burley stuff $$$$ and get a large MEC or Seal Line dry bag and lash it down. 3) Ditch the kickstand rubber foot and go buy a box of 5/8" cane tip replacements that are twice as wide. Much sturdier support (see my review under the Burley kickstand rubber foot for photos). 4) To beef up your tires, switch to Schwalbe HS 158 wheelchair tires which are 2.25" wide (once the originals are worn out). If your local bike shop carries that high quality German brand, it can also order the wheelchair tires. Pram/stroller inner tubes normally have the bent valves and can be ordered online if you can't find them locally.Burley Boy

How often am I stopped in the street with questions from admirers of my Burley Travoy? Every single time I use it. This trailer is simply the best. It's an expensive purchase, but I find it so useful that I have never regretted spending the money. And for the cost of a set of good-quality waterproof panniers, you get so much more. The trailer is ideal for shopping trips. Scenario: you have two or more stores to visit, but when you get to the second store, you have to decide whether or not to leave your panniers (with purchases from the first store) on the bike, or to carry your panniers while shopping and bear their tiny little handle(s) digging into your fingers. With the Travoy, problem solved. Just remove it from your bike and roll it like a trolley through each store. The included bag easily carries a weeks' worth of groceries. Besides groceries, I have carried weird and wonderful things on the Travoy that can't be carried in panniers, including paint from the hardware store, a dog kennel, furniture, luggage, an espresso machine and more. It folds up into a nice little package, and the wheels come off, for easy storage in cramped urban spaces. Do you notice it on the back of your bike? Not at all. I often find myself checking to make sure that it's still connected to the bike, because it feels as though it's not there. It rides very smoothly. Unlike other reviewers, I have never had problems navigating corners, hills, curbs, speed, etc. Overall the Travoy is very solidly constructed, but there are a few design flaws: – The little pedestal stand on the bottom is flimsy. I returned one Travoy to MEC for repair of this part, and the new one is already starting to break within its first year. – The bag is difficult to position evenly between the tires, and easily rubs against them (which if you're not careful will put a hole in the bag). It helps to tighten the bungie cord on the front of the bag. – It can be difficult to secure items to the Travoy because there are few latching points. There are included straps that clip onto the trailer, but I have found these to be too short for my needs.mickih

Pretty easy to put together , just felt like if they number the parts on frame and cross sections would make it so much easier, definitely need to by some what handy ! Have to say my first trailer I've built that came delivered in boxes ! Quality seems excellent! Outdoor play did send me end caps that were missing from parts with no problem! Most importantly Best price on Brand name products from OUTDOOR PLAYDean K.

Great trailer for kayaks. Not bad putting it together. Go to Utube and find a video on assembly. Watch it a couple of times and lay out all the parts. Check and make sure you put the correct ends togetherKenneth R.

I have been having a blast with this trailer. Four wheels provides a lot of dampening for my kids to load into the back and ride comfortably as it follows the ATV through the bumpy landscape. It is easy to navigate (including reverse operations) and the dumpster operation is well engineered. Lots of capacity and incredibly solid bucket and frame. I haven’t put it through all the motions yet but it looks and feels like it was built to last. The only surprise was that the four wheels still connect to the frame from a single access point. It appears to be the same axle they use in the 2 wheel version. In theory, you could take 2 tires off the 4 wheel frame mount then directly to this point and have the 2 wheel version of the trailer. As a result, the trailer doesn’t stand upright on its own, which is probably safer but a little different than what I thought I was buying. With a Milwaukee ratchet and a deep socket wrench set, this was a breeze to assemble. Very happy with the purchase.GentFarmer

This wagon is a workhorse. Easy to install and looks very well made. Already put it through fields and rough terrain and heavy loads of wood, etcJ klunder

Was easy to put together. We pull this with a Honda Rancher . Compared to my old standard cart this is night and day different. Old cart was easy to jackknife when backing up. This cart was easier to back up and didn't jackknife. Its a standard cart on steroids!jlkessler

Gave 4 stars because I just assembled and have not used trailer. Can’t wait to see how our 17 ft boats riding on this trailer.Kelly

We love our Malone Micro Sport 4 Kayak Trailer. We have a Sterling Illusion and a Sterling Grand Illusion Touring kayaks. They are easy to load up and there's plenty of room for four touring kayaks. Ours came a few days after we placed the order and I also purchased the trunk that goes beneath the kayaks between the wheels as well as the spare tire. It literally came in like five (5) boxes. The directions said that it should take approximately 3 hours to assemble plus or minus. It took me 3.5 hours to complete. We have had our Malone kayak trailer since 2011 and have never had any issues with it. I think it is a quality product and the only thing is I have yet figured out how to grease the wheel bearings. I am not sure if I otta take everything apart to repack the bearings or if they're a permanent type of set up. I just got back from a 3 hour trip (one way) and have done a couple of these trips but usually we are paddling only a couple of miles from the house. At any rate we give Malone Micro Sport 4 Kayak Trailer a big A plus for quality and ease of assembly as well as durability too. I was very tired of lifting my kayak up over my head to load ot on my roof racks and this trailer makes going out by myself so much easier cause I no longer have to lift my kayak so high. I was trying to help my friend pick a trailer out and noticed that my trailer has almost doubled in value too. My trailer is still like new and we just push it back into the garage and we leave the kayaks on it, it makes a perfect kayak rack in my garage too.Bill M.

From unpacking the boxes to complete assembly took me about 6hrs. Not a nut, washer or any other part was missing from the kit, which is praiseworthy in of itself. I only had one small fitment issue where a tie down bolt was hitting one of the plastic end caps on the crossbar. I just trimmed a slot in the cap with my pocket knife to resolve this. Overall, assembly was pretty simple but some of the directions were a little vague. The finished trailer seems very solid with quality components.r I.

Assembly: ok, takes time, some discrepancies between manual and parts added confusion. Have your drill ready for holes that dont line up quite right. Function: good. Touchy to back up. Build quality: nice. Though I would have used more spot welds. Drawback: its smaller than Id like. A foot wider, a foot or two longer, would be better. Cost: Seems a bit expensive to me.nilesolarian

It was well packaged and relatively easy to assemble. However, the bolt hole's were slightly askew. I used a small punch and had to loosen all the hardware. After the instructions had directed me to tighten everything??? It track's well and is a good trailer. About 2 or 3 hours from being delivered, I was hauling firewood.curhor-31

This is an amazing trailer. Easy to assemble, love the small wheel that converts the carrier into a stroller. Very smooth ride on road or trail. You don't feel the weight when cycling on flat surface, but can become a bit heavy when going uphill. When using while attached to the bike doesn't feel heavy at all. We have taken our two kids in it and they love it and I feel safe for them to be in it. very smooth overall and it's comfortable both ways stroller or bike. Highly recommend this!By Kelleyi84

We have had this for several months now and have put a few hundred miles on it. Overall, it is well constructed and durable. It rolls smoothly in stroller and trailer mode. The front casters and rear wheels are quick and easy to remove. In the cold weather the clear vinyl covering is great to keep the kids warm. The handle position in stroller mode is good and allows me to jog comfortably without catching my shins on the frame (I am 6’2”). There are several notable downsides that I would have expected Thule to address at this price point. -the brake is extremely awkward. To engage the brake, you have to reach between the frame and wheel, which results in all the mud from the wheel smearing your arm. When engaged, the brake is secure, but it should either have a foot pedal or hand control. -my wife has stopped using this entirely because it is very difficult to fold down due to the tension in the frame. Even with good positioning, I end up needing to apply a lot of force to get it to fold. Again, for the price, this should be better engineered. -the tabs to hold the vinyl cover closed are difficult to use with gloves on. We bought the infant insert on the Thule website, and once installed it works well and holds our 3 month old securely. It is notable that the included instructions from Thule did not show installation on this model, but the Thule website does have a pdf showing how (it is pretty straightforward even without the instructions, but I think it is worth mentioning)Schu

Thule's carrier came in a light box and was easy to put together. It was easy to hook up to my bike and is spacious for my kiddos who are 4 and 7! This makes morning weekend outings so much fun and a great way to get away as a family. It is high-quality and sturdy but light enough that it does not impede my cycling or make the ride too difficult. Way better than similar products in the market!By AtotheO

Just got it put together today. Seems to be a quality trailer. The instructions aren’t very good at all, I don’t know how many times I’ve had pieces put together and had to take it back apart and flip it around or swap to the other side. Very frustrating that there seems to be a different sized bolt for each component, so I had to keep swapping sockets and wrenches. Maybe wouldn’t have been too bad if I wasn’t putting it together myself. Again, it seems to be well built, we’ll see how it holds up.Klang

Order # 71571287 We ordered the DK2 #WX2-725565. The one pictured. You sent us #WX2-725564 which we DID NOT order. Please send us the correct trailer.Town of Dewey Beach

Latch does not hold trailer. Missing parts took forever to replace. Latch for trailer does not lock properly and is dangerousmrulti-63

It may be a great trailer, but I'll never know. Two pieces of critical information are missing from the MEC page on this product: 1. It is not possible to use this as sold! You must purchase a new axle for your bike, that MEC doesn't even sell. Must be purchase from Burley. 2. There is only a limited set of axle lengths available. Check to make sure you axle size is supported before buying this product. There is a sizing guide available on the Burley website. As I have just found, after driving all the way into MEC to pick the trailer up and unpackaging everything, the thru axle length on my bike is not supported!John

I bought this trailer after dumping my dog out of two wheel trailers a few times. My dog loves this trailer! I have a 45 pound Border collie. The trailer leans with your bike so any cornering speed the force is down not to the outside of the corner, my dog stands the whole time when I ride. The only time he has been thrown from the trailer is when I crash and one time we were hit by a car ( the car was going slow ). This trailer is light and durable, I have been stopped in my tracks when I hit a rock the trailer frame got a nice ding in it, and my axle bent but the trailer held up fine. This trailer handles the weight way better than a tag along as far as handling, but with my dog in the trailer on a technical downhill or going faster I have to stay seated to keep good control and or my legs squeezing the seat. A beginner rider will not be able to throw 50 pounds in this and hit the trail without feeling it. The turning radius is reduced but that should be expected. Pros light weight, connects and disconnects in a second, well built, leans with the bike for pets cons I removed the kick stand, but that was due to me dragging this over rock sections on the trail, the shock is not much use as the spring rate is just too much for a 20 pound trailer and a near 50 pound dog. You need an axle for your specific bike (not too big of a deal, find the correct axle before purchasing the trailer, they provide a link ) It would be nice to have the off road tire as an option right off the bat. Noisy empty when my dog is running. 4 stars due to the shock, I would love to have a $250 option of an air shock.Brian P.

I am new to the single track trailer world, so consider that as I offer the following: I am towing this trailer with my Luna X1 Enduro eBike. So the good – It tracks very well on single track (with an exception noted below under "The problematic"), if my pedals clear an obstacle on rough trails, then so does the trailer, the yoke does not hit even on 15" drops, it pulls well and nearly undetectably on even moderately rough, moderately level trails. It holds gear well and in a reasonable quantity. The problematic – Two issues. One, the towing yoke has some elasticity in it which allows the mass in the trailer to roll side-to-side out of frequency with the bike (my eBike is heavy at about 55lbs). The result is that as the bike moves side to side the roll in the trailer is behind the movement of the bike and can pull the bike sideways out of time with the bike's movement, making the steering hard to control while maneuvering in tight conditions. Incidentally, pushing the bike side to side in sync with strong pedaling is not advised with any weight in the trailer. Number Two, the radius you can turn your bike is restricted in tighter switchbacks, as the yoke of the trailer bars against the front of the trailer. When descending switchbacks, once the trailer is barred, the weight in the trailer pushes the bike's rear tire sideways. With 30 lbs in my trailer, I chose to walk several descending switchbacks. So the trailer is great. But you can't put a boat trailer on your 4×4 pickup and expect it to work the same on difficult trails that it would without that trailer. I am going to keep pulling my Burley Coho on the trails where I go.Stuart

I Bought this trailer online and i received it today. After unboxing the trailer to check for any damage which there was none. The trailer overall is well built. Here are the issues that i encountered while assembling. The Axle does not lay flat on the springs. The pre drilled holes on the axle are too small to sit in the spring center bolt. There was no hardware for the two metal rear light enclosures. Not enough washers for all the supplied bolts. Should be 2 per bolt. Pass. side front yellow marker light mounting holes missing threaded inserts. Had to purchase Machine screws and nuts. After testing the Lights, the brake and tail lights worked. The signal lights flash opposite of my vehicle. Right turn signal on my car and the trailers left signal flashes. Same with the other side. Sound like the wires that run down the sides of the trailer to the rear lights are mounted backwards. This trailer took 4 hours to assemble with numerous trips to the hardware store to purchase bolts, nuts and washers and trouble shooting the wiring signal light issue. Please reply back as to the issue of signal lights backwards from vehicle. How can i fix this as i cant use the trailer until this issue is repaired.wayhome55

All parts included and fit well except coupler which was a struggle. Assembled in TSC parking lot- thank-you to Manistique store staff for being pleasant and accommodating and helping with flip over. Hauled max rated load no problem. Instruction not well done on two steps- but you can figure it out- look carefully at diagram and use number of parts indicated in text. Don't even bother putting the license plate holder in the location suggested. I mounted mine on the tail gate- but that won't work when it is downC August

Very nice off-road utility trailer for the money. It was easy to put together and seems really solid. The only thing missing is tie-down hooks, but those can be added later.BTV_

I bought this a year ago and fully lined it with plywood to haul dirt so i wish it came with a solid metal bed rather than mesh but hauls a lot of weight! I also welded a ball adapter to it rather than the pin connector so i wish ball connect was a add on as wellReviewing man

Very nice off-road utility trailer for the money. It was easy to put together and seems really solid. The only thing missing is tie-down hooks, but those can be added later.BTV_

I bought this a year ago and fully lined it with plywood to haul dirt so i wish it came with a solid metal bed rather than mesh but hauls a lot of weight! I also welded a ball adapter to it rather than the pin connector so i wish ball connect was a add on as wellReviewing man

Great product for hauling normal roof rack stuff and I would buy again. Just know that there are issues with shipping from Yakima's distribution center and knew that from other reviews on other sites. Yakima too was great in sending parts that were missing or broken during that shipping process.Kent L

Great product for hauling normal roof rack stuff and I would buy again. Just know that there are issues with shipping from Yakima's distribution center and knew that from other reviews on other sites. Yakima too was great in sending parts that were missing or broken during that shipping process.Kent L

This is a very good book to understand the basics of light-duty trailer design. It goes over tongue design, axle placement, and explains common trailer components components. I could have saved a couple years of researching the internet had I bought this book earlier. What the book does not cover is material sizing and structural strength, which was what I was looking for. This i not really a criticism of the book, because it is Volume 1 of a 3 book collection, and I when I was looking to buy the book, NONE of the sellers included that information in the title of the book, the description, or in photographs. If you need to know what size steel to use on your trailer, make sure to buy the more expensive Volume 2. I've not yet found a copy of Volume 3, so I can't yet review that volume.styer6633

I love the detail that these books go into! They give a great prospective on how to design, what is a good design and what is not so good and what is totally wrong when designing a Trailer. I highly recommend these books to anyone who is considering the building of a trailer. They will help you save time and money.19ranger78